About our website...This is the official website for the Arthur St. Clair Chapter of the Ohio Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) located in Chillicothe, Ohio. This website is continuously being updated so please check back often as new material will be added shortly.

For comments about our website or questions about joining our chapter, please contact the webmaster, Shawn Cox, through the "contact us" link at the bottom of the home page.

The objectives of the Sons of the American Revolution are education, patriotism and history. These are being achieved by the Arthur St. Clair Chapter of the Ohio Society SAR by perpetuating the memory of the men who served in the military or who provided other patriotic service in the Revolutionary War and through whose efforts and sacrifices secured the independence and freedom from Great Britain. It's also the goal of this chapter to promote patriotism and the values of American citizenship by:

Recognizing those in public service who exemplify the high civic traditions of our nation.

Recognizing the excellence of outstanding students and Eagle Scouts by sponsoring oratorical and essay contests.

Honoring War Veterans in the membership with service medals for service in WWII, Korea, Vietnam and Desert Storm.

Recognizing those who consistently and prominently display the American Flag.

Honoring women who have contributed to keeping alive the early history of Ross County, Ohio and the personal history of the Revolutionary Patriots.

Identifying the Revolutionary Patriots who lived and/or were buried in Ross County, Ohio.

Insuring that all attempts are made to identify and mark each Patriot burial site. If the Patriot burial site cannot be found or if it's been abandoned, then a memorial stone in an appropriate cemetery will be installed commemorating the patriotic service and contribution.

About Our Chapter...

The history of our chapter begins in April 1950 when the Chillicothe Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution was founded with Walter S. Barrett as President and Charles A. Fromm as Secretary-Treasurer. The minutes of the meetings of this initial Chillicothe Chapter no longer exist, but considerable correspondence between Compatriot Walter S. Barrett and officers of the Ohio Society covering several years do exist. Due to declining membership, the Chapter was disbanded in 1965.

In January 1988, through the efforts of Compatriot Edwin M. Smith of the Cincinnati Chapter and his brother, Herbert A. Smith of Chillicothe, the reinstating of a local chapter of the SAR was planned. Organizational meetings were held on February 7 and March 23, 1988 with the Ohio Society Officers in attendance. Among those were President Robert E. Mayne, Vice-President Edwin Smith and the South East Chairman Keith Ashley. A vote of the prospective members elected to rename the new chapter the Arthur St. Clair Chapter in honor of General Arthur St. Clair, whose fame is known in the American Revolution and as having been the governor of the Northwest Territory and the President of the Continental Congress. The Chapter was chartered on May 6, 1988 with James H. Petro as President and Herbert A. Smith as Secretary-Treasurer.

The Arthur St. Clair Chapter holds 9 dinner meetings each year, September through June, with no meeting in December. The meetings are held on the second Wednesday of the month at the Golden Corral in Chillicothe, Ohio.

Who is eligible to join?

Any man of age eighteen years or over, who is a
lineal descendent of an ancestor who supported the
war for American Independence is eligible for
membership in the Sons of the American Revolution.
These ancestors are referred to as Revolutionary War
Patriots and include those persons who fought in the
military and/or militia, who provided supplies to the American cause, who served on political bodies
supporting the Revolution, who signed oaths of
support and similar acts.

If you believe that you may be eligible for SAR membership, contact the webmaster at the link at the bottom of the home page.

Applicant Information

General Information and Application Requirements

(Form 0910, last revised 14 February 2011, original on blue paper)This one page tri-fold pamphlet lists SAR objectives, acceptable service, transfer from the CAR, prospects with relatives in the SAR. DAR
or SR, supplemental applications, and reinstatement. It also lists
application fees and annual dues.

To Help Preserve a Precious Heritage

(Form 0911, last revised September 1999, original has color photos)This one page tri-fold pamphlet describes the SAR, tells why someone should become a member, and describes the many ways in which the
SAR helps preserve our nation's heritage of liberty and independence.

Chapter News

Upcoming Events

The next meeting of the Arthur St. Clair Chapter will be held on Wednesday, 10 January 2018 at the Golden Corral in Chillicothe, Ohio. Dinner will begin between 5:30 pm and 6:00 pm with the business meeting beginning at 6:30 pm. Following the business meeting, an interesting, educational and patriotic program will be presented. All SARs, wives and prospective members are welcome to attend.

Member Biographical Sketch and Program Booklet

Our chapter publishes a booklet yearly containing biographical sketches of every member, past and present, as well as meeting dates and locations and other various information. All the content of the booklet will now be available on this website through the following link: Program and Biographical Sketches This is a Word document and all members are invited to copy the document and use for reference throughout the year. The back page has been reserved for the chapter roster and every members contact information. Due to privacy, the addresses and emails of members won't be published on this webpage, but can be obtained from the webmaster by submitting a request using the "contact us" link at the bottom of the page.

Welcome New Members

We would like to welcome the following new members to our chapter: Thomas Edward Rittinger, John Rexford Stroth, Terrance Eugene Cochran and Michael Eugene Cochran. We welcome our new compatriots and look forward to seeing them at our chapter meetings and functions.

Requirements for Preparation of Applications

(Form 0912, last revised November 2008, original on green paper)This four page file tells what to give the applicant, what sorts of documents are acceptable, how to write data on the application,
and how to cite the sources used.

What Are The Requirements For Membership?

(Form 0913, undated, original on white paper)
This one page tri-fold pamphlet has two blank panels so that it may be folded, addressed, and mailed to prospects
without using envelopes.

New Member Information

(Form 0914, undated, original on salmon paper)This one-page trifold pamphlet outlines the history, structure, and programs of the SAR especially for new members.

Arthur St. Clair (1736-1818)

Arthur St. Clair

Our chapter was named in honor of Arthur St. Clair. Arthur St. Clair served as President of the Continental Congress, Major General in the Continental Army, and first Governor of the Northwest Territory.

Arthur St. Clair was born on March 23, 1736, in Thurso, Scotland. He attended the University of Edinburgh and had some training with the prominent London anatomist William Hunter. St. Clair joined the British army as an ensign in 1757 and served with Col. Jeffery Amherst in Canada. Three years later he married Phoebe Bayard, who bore him seven children. In 1762 he resigned his army commission and bought 4,000 acres of land in western Pennsylvania, which made him the largest resident landholder in that area.

This distinction brought St. Clair local responsibilities. He served as the agent for Governor William Penn in 1771 and justice of the Westmoreland County Court 2 years later. For several years he represented Pennsylvania in its fight with Virginia over the territory at Pittsburgh, but he had little success.

In 1775 St. Clair became a colonel in the American army, and a year later he became a brigadier general, serving with George Washington's forces in the American Revolution. By the spring of 1777 St. Clair had been promoted to major general and received command of Ft. Ticonderoga. When he evacuated that post, Congress recalled him. Although a court-martial cleared him in 1778, he received no further army assignments.

Returning to civilian life, St. Clair reentered politics. He was a member of the Pennsylvania Council of Censors in 1783; in 1785 he was elected to the Continental Congress, becoming president of that body 2 years later. When Congress established the Northwest Territory in 1787, St. Clair was appointed territorial governor.

St. Clair's career as governor was stormy. His territorial militia was dealt disastrous defeats by the Indians in 1790 and 1791. Meanwhile, his efforts to govern the territory caused considerable difficulty. He used his authority to obstruct legislation designed to curtail his power and democratize the territorial government. He opposed the move for statehood and, to delay it, tried to split the territory into smaller political units. When he denounced the Ohio Enabling Act as null, President Thomas Jefferson removed him from office. St. Clair then retired to his home near Ligonier, Pa., where he died on Aug. 31, 1818.